Eastern will take on Cal State Bakersfield Tuesday
before important Big Sky match with No. 45 Sacramento State on
Wednesday

Upcoming Schedule

The Eastern Washington University women’s tennis team
looks to extend its four match winning streak this week when they
take on Cal State Bakersfield Tuesday March 23 and Big Sky foe
Sacramento State Wednesday March 24. Both matches are set for 2
p.m. Pacific time.

The Eagles enter the match 8-6 overall after picking up a
non-conference 4-3 victory over San Jose State on March 20. The
Eagles are currently in first place in the Big Sky Conference with
a 4-0 record.

Cal State Bakersfield is 1-12 overall this season and are coming
off a 7-0 loss to Long Island University in Las Vegas, Nev.

Sacramento State, ranked No. 45 in the nation, is 11-5 on the
season and like the Eagles, are also undefeated in the Big Sky at
3-0. The Hornets have won 65 straight Big Sky matches.

After the two matches, the Eagles will be back in action April 2
at home against Montana. The match will be the first of four
straight home matches for the Eagles.

Bampton: Caitlin Bampton was awarded the first
Big Sky Player of the Week honor of her career last week.

Bampton, a sophomore from Kennewick, Wash., went 2-0 last week
at No. 1 singles and doubles to help the Eagles to conference wins
over the Weber State Wildcats and Idaho State Bengals.

Bampton won 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 over Keya Jenkins of Weber State and
6-3, 6-1 over Lisel Lewis of Idaho State, both at No. 1 singles.
Bampton joined teammate Kelsey Knight to defeat the No. 1 doubles
team against both Weber State and Idaho State.

It was the second such honor for the Eagles this season; Marie
Demerath was awarded the same honor on Jan. 21.

Improving Doubles: The Eagles doubles play is
improving match by match, according to associate head coach
Dale Silha.

“Our doubles play is getting better with each
match,” said Silha. “We have won the doubles point in
each of the four conference matches that we have played."

In seven of the eight Eagle victories this season, Eastern has
captured the doubles point. Caitlin Bampton and Kelsey Knight lead
the Eagles will a 5-1 record at No. 1 doubles on the year. The duo
has won their last three matches.

Competing Nationally: Although Eastern dropped
its match against No. 71 Oregon 7-0 on Jan. 23, the Eagles picked
up a No. 2 doubles victory and a couple singles players battled to
the very end in their respective singles matches.

“We were able to get a significant win against Oregon's
No. 2 doubles team,” said associate women’s head coach
Dale Silha. “Kelsey Knight at No. 3 singles and Judy Liening
at No. 6 singles had extremely close matches against Oregon that
could have gone either way.”

First Time for Everything: Eagle freshmen
Chelsea Patton, Ryann Warner and Jessie Steele picked up their
first singles wins of their career against Lewis-Clark State (Jan.
15) and Whitworth (Jan. 16).

Both Patton and Warner won both of their singles matches to
advance to 2-0 on the season, and Steele saw her first action
Saturday (Jan. 16) against Whitworth in defeating Stephanie Reardon
4-6, 6-4, 1-0.

Patton teamed up with Caitlin Bampton in both matches to pick up
two doubles wins, and Warner matched up with Judy Liening to go 1-1
over the two matches.

Moving on Up: Senior Marie Demerath now has
seven singles wins 14 matches into the 2009-10 dual-match season,
already surpassing her total wins from last season.

Demerath now has 34 career singles victories, which is tied for
fifth most all-time in program history. She needs one more wins to
move into fourth all-time by surpassing Amanda Mankovits and Sejla
Serifovic, who both have 34.

Noteworthy Performances: Marie Demerath earned
Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors on Jan. 21 for her
performance in season-opening matches for the Eagles against
Lewis-Clark State College (Jan. 15) and Whitworth University (Jan.
16).

Demerath, a senior from Kenmore, Wash., compiled a 2-0 record in
singles play and a 2-0 record in doubles action en route to
sweeping 7-0 victories for the Eagles.

On Jan. 15 against Lewis-Clark State as the No. 2 singles
player, Demerath defeated Dorothy Chong 6-0, 6-3. She teamed-up
with partner Kelsey Knight for an 8-1 doubles victory as well.

Against Whitworth on Jan. 16, Demerath was victorious on the No.
1 singles court against Allie Marshall 6-2, 6-0. Demerath and
Knight picked up another doubles victory by an 8-3 score.

This is the second Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor
for Demerath, who was awarded the same honor during the 2006-07
season.